1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a stamp device employing a heat sensitive stencil paper adapted to be perforated by heat of a thermal head and, more particularly, to a stamping device for recording an image by transferring ink through a thermal stencil paper having pores formed by heat of a thermal head which is capable of generating heat in accordance with input data.
2. Description of Related Art
The rubber stamp has been used for impressing addresses, names, and departments and sections of corporations. The rubber stamp is a simple means for printing the same characters repeatedly and can be used by anybody.
However, it requires a long time to procure the rubber stamp because the rubber stamp needs to be made by a stamp maker specialized in the field. Further, a new rubber stamp must be made if the contents of the rubber stamp need changing and hence, in most cases, the rubber stamp has been used for impressing only designs, marks, patterns or characters which are not subject to frequent change for economic reasons.
A compact portable stamping device as shown in FIG. 21 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,053 (Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 54-9523). As shown in FIG. 21, the stamping device S1 comprises an ink pad 102, a stencil paper 104 closely sticking to the ink pad 102, and a frame 100 surrounding the ink pad 102 and the stencil paper 104. The ink pad 102 is pressed against a recording sheet P with the stencil paper 104 therebetween for stencil printing. When changing the stencil paper 104, the operator's hands or clothes are often stained by the ink. Further, the ink cannot be replaced by another ink having a different color.
A pressure stencil printer which, for example, is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-11855 is a simple printer employing a thermal stencil paper. This printer comprises a platen provided with a pad formed of an elastic material, such as sponge, to support a recording medium, and a pressure plate provided with a support member for supporting a printing plate opposite to the platen. The printing plate is pressed against a recording medium supported on the platen by the pressure plate for printing. In impressing print by the pressure stencil printer, a document having contents to be printed is produced, the document is copied in a pattern of pores formed by thermal punching by means of flash light emitted by a flashtube on a thermal stencil paper, ink is spread over the thermal stencil paper, and then the thermal stencil paper is pressed against a recording medium placed on the platen of the pressure stencil printer for printing, which is very troublesome. Since the ink must be spread over the thermal stencil paper by the operator, the operator's hands may be smeared with the ink or a nonuniform print is formed because it is difficult to spread the ink in a uniform thickness over the thermal stencil paper.